Obama-Biden bond one for the ages
It was with a heavy heart that I watched President Barack Obama’s farewell speech, as well as his Medal of Freedom with Distinction presentation to Vice President Joe Biden.
Not since the late 1970s have I seen such a bond between a president and vice president of the U.S. and the camaraderie they have shared.
With an imminent future of unknown chaos, “what-ifs” and tumultuous relationships between Donald Trump and his Cabinet members, let alone the lines of division in U.S. Senate and House committees, it was truly endearing to see the bond and love between possibly the two greatest men ever to lead the White House.
Such sadness to see it come to an end. May our country find such a duo once again to serve in the name of the people and not their pocketbooks.
Han Song
Kaneohe
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Protest inauguration of Donald Trump
The presidential inauguration is almost upon us and it’s time for all of us concerned about justice and equal rights to demonstrate our resistance to President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda, his super-rich Cabinet nominees and the Republican-controlled Congress.
Trump has spoken openly about his hostility to people of color — Asians, Mexicans, African-Americans — and to women and Muslims. He only recently agreed that there was Russian hacking of the election. This, along with various restrictions on voting in 33 states and the FBI director’s unseemly intervention during the election, constitute a grave assault on democratic institutions and led Trump’s illegitimate election.
Trump also has proposed the horrific idea of adding more nuclear weapons to our arsenal and restarting an arms race.
I plan to be at the University of Hawaii teach-in and the marches and rallies this Friday and Saturday and hope more people will, too — to jump-start resistance to the depravity of a hopefully short-lived Trump regime.
John Witeck
Kamehameha Heights
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It’s time for liberals to cool the rhetoric
Okay, liberals — can’t we stop with the rhetoric? Your nasty adjectives apply two ways. Enough one-sided bombasts.
Let’s stop this name-calling, act like adults, forget the declamatory remarks. And if you are a proud American, know that “we the people” together are what our country is about.
Yes, I supported and voted for President-elect Donald Trump. I’d do it again.
Now, fellow Americans, stand by!
Betty Berry
Makiki
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Hawaii needs missile defense on its shores
Transforming our missile testing facility on Kauai into a medium-range radar station is ludicrous (“Missile radar ranks over defense,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 14). It’s as if the powers-that-be at the Pentagon never heard of or can’t remember what happened at Pearl Harbor 75 years ago.
Radar, of course, is vital to the security of the Hawaiian Islands. However, being forewarned without being forearmed is not only shortsighted, it’s ridiculous.
With that mentally challenged leader of North Korea about to test a new ballistic missile capable of reaching us and possibly the mainland as well, it makes no sense to depend on interceptor missiles based in Alaska and California to protect us.
Frederick Connolly
Ala Moana
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Isles always a target for hostile countries
Radar over defense is a ridiculous concept (“Missile radar ranks over defense,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 14).
Because of the substantial Hawaii military presence, it always will be a target for countries hostile to the U.S. A local military defense for Hawaii is mandatory.
Milton Allione
Kailua
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Don’t build stadium; finish rail instead
After reading the headline about a new stadium, I wondered why (“New stadium is proposed,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 13). Would we need one without a University of Hawaii football program?
Hardly anybody watches the losing teams anyway. We would be taking on more debt when we are not out of the rail mess and more taxes are in the offing.
Comparing new-construction costs to repair costs over time is illogical. Why not just tear down the old rusty bucket and sell the land to offset the additional millions we need for rail?
Paul Tyksinski
Kailua
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Memorials set up for Dec. 7 civilian losses
Cassandra Aoki’s letter calling for a memorial for the Dec. 7, 1941, civilian casualties is commendable (“Build memorial for civilian casualties,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Jan. 14).
However, these individuals already have memorials at two locations. The World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument has a beautiful outdoor Remembrance Circle, which includes 34 plaques listing the names of civilian and military casualties. At the Hawaii State Library, there is a small granite plaque affixed to the outside entry wall, which was placed there by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1951, for the 10th anniversary of Dec. 7, 1941.
Nanette Napoleon
Kailua
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First build housing that’s affordable
I agree with “Require builders to build housing, not just pay a fee” (Star-Advertiser, Our View, Jan. 15).
Shouldn’t the city be “for the people” and not the developers? A huge amount of affordable housing is needed immediately. Homelessness is only going to increase. We have enough high-cost housing in Kakaako and all over our island. Until more truly affordable housing is built, no new luxury condominiums or upscale neighborhoods should be allowed.
Rentals are needed, and rents also should be affordable for workers with average and below-average incomes to keep homelessness from growing.
Too many favors are being granted to developers. Help the residents of Hawaii first. Don’t sell us out to the 1 percent.
Jan Adam
Maili
49 responses to “Obama-Biden bond one for the ages”
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0729 a.m. hst, we will know if clinton is pardoned by obama.
0731 a.m. hst, we will have a new president who will make america great and safe again.
lol, we shall see. I think he will be lucky if he is still alive 2 years from now. Doubt he will still be president. Probably be like sweet Sara and just resign.
“lucky if he is still alive”. What are you saying?
Sounds like a veiled threat.
Something that could only be stated by someone who cares more about his democratic party than our country.
All I will say is that it is not smart to keep poking the intelligence community like the Donald has been doing. They have no sense of humor and have eliminated people in the past. You might also want to see what happens in other countries.
“Tumultuous relationships between Donald Trump and his Cabinet members.” What tumultuous relationships do you speak of so freely? More false rumors!
Obama-Biden are certainly one for the ages. Not sure what benefit the duo have had for your America – but its been a tough 8 years for me personally. I’m an independent – but always hoping for our President of any party to do well for the benefit of the country. I hope those with the loudest voices of protest at this inauguration remember that hopeful feeling we had when Obama took office – and the chance that he was given – free from pre-judgement even with his lack of experience. President Elect Trump has not been given that same benefit. I continue to pray for the country. The last 8 years has brought about a divisiveness I’ve not seen since I was young – maybe that same 1970s feeling you mean was that? The days of Carter?
What are you talking about? What chance was Obama given when republicans pledged to just say No even to things they had previously supported? The Donald is being protested because many feel this is just another election where republicans were able to come out on top primarily due to voter suppression. http://www.gregpalast.com
Hey Boots, How happy are you these days with Harry Reid’s demolishing the filibuster?
obama-biden? with lame stream reporters sighing and having warm feelings running up their legs?
like buchanan-king?
Obama has put a new twist to the Medal of Freedom which he has given away like raffle tickets. Ole Joe Biden got one of those cheap medal of freedom’s
but his one was with ” distinction.” Biden did not do anything of significance as Vice president but got the award because he is Barry’s friend. These guys just
feed off each other. Great to see them go and they will soon be forgotten.
I thought Obama gave Medals of Freedom to his celebrity entertainer friends only. Could it be that he was entertained by Joe Biden singing karaoke at the White House?
too funny. I forgot about that one. Thanks for the laugh!
Betty Berry: As far as i’m concern Trump was the worst at name calling during the Campaign. Guess you missed all of that.
Yes, he was very abrasive! But, like any new boss, you either work his way or move on!
This is govt…. the boss serves the people. And if he has conflicts of interest we need to know about that.
The lack of tax returns needs to be fixed. There will be laws passed by the states if Trump continues to ignore the people. Trump will lose the next election if he continues to lose these laws – if he is not impeached first. He either shapes up or ships out.
Where can we see Hawaii lawmaker’s tax returns?
At this point in time, I see him as a 1 term President. But maybe the powers that be need to be shaken little. Might get them to really do something for all of us!
You’re Kool-Aid drinker wiliki, but just like the liberal media: you’ve been outed.
Seeing our politician’s tax returns is a good idea. But we already have good reviews by our ethics commissions.
By and large, politicians here are pretty honest. They work hard for the people and make our state better and better each year.
“I plan to be at the University of Hawaii teach-in and the marches and rallies this Friday and Saturday and hope more people will, too — to jump-start resistance to the depravity of a hopefully short-lived Trump regime.”>>> that will change…absolutely nothing. Enjoy your tantrum though.
‘Bout sums it up.
Free preschool for needy kids.
Too late! Better try next life.
There is already a non-profit that is doing this worthy work, but it’s presence is not well known. And it looks like requests for help for needy kids has increased 70% in 2016. In 2015 about 1000 needy kids received subsidies from PATCH for the tune of $7 million.
Gov Abercrombie had estimated the need about 3 years ago to be about $24 million. So we are about 1/3 of the way to this goal.
http://patchhawaii.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/2015-ANNUAL-REPORT-PATCH_Web.pdf
This is an important issue that the legislature should fully fund this year.
There’s no relation with spending more on free preschool and later success in school. I posted studies showing that any benefits from preschool disappear by 3rd or 4th grade. Parent’s involvement and augmenting their preschooler’s education does much more than “free preschool”.
Just like all lefties, wiliki loves the idea of spending everyone else’s money, but never ponies-up his own. What a poser.
BIRTH control for parents so they can stop MAKING “needy kids”
Keolu misrepresents a bogus conclusion on preschools…
The control group of the study mentions kids with other preschool experiences and those with rich home educational environments.
The school district that ran this test already supports free preschool in their district. The study group is 500 kids in a new preschool curriculum – a kind of business cost study that rates an educational product.
This study only shows that the new preschool curriculum is not significantly better than their current programs.
It is a lie as Keolu states, that this study compares needy kids with no preschool with other similar poor kids who have have had good preschool experiences and finds no differences.
Keolu is and should be aware of the nature of this test and if he has read some of the public comments on these studies, he should be aware that a number of educators that state as such.
Free jail cell for wiliki.
Jail is where we find many of these kids who start out not knowing how to ask for help, or hold a crayon or pencil in Kindergarten – and who continue to fall further and further behind in succeeding school years.
We save a lot of money by preparing them to succeed in kindergarten.
You keep saying it but you offer no viable evidence that it’s true.
Keolu lies… I’ve often cited studies at Harvard on early development – and he knows that.
Fire Keolu.
wiliki makes claims but can never back them up. Here’s the study: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/early_years/2012/12/head_start_advantages_mostly_gone_by_third_grade_study_finds.html
“”While Head Start participation benefited children’s learning and development during their time in the federally funded preschool program, those advantages had mostly vanished by the end of 3rd grade, a new federal study finds.
In the final phase of a large-scale randomized, controlled study of nearly 5,000 children, researchers found that the positive impacts on literacy and language development demonstrated by children who entered Head Start at age 4 had dissipated by the end of 3rd grade, and that they were, on average, academically indistinguishable from their peers who had not participated in Head Start. The new findings, released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, are consistent with an earlier phase of the study which showed that many of the positive impacts of Head Start participation had faded by the end of 1st grade.
The $8 billion Head Start program serves nearly 1 million low-income children.””
Fire wiliki.
This is the same bogus study that Keolu quotes. He shouldn’t give the link because just a little googling quickly shows that the school district did NOT try to compare this new preschool curriculum to to the alternative of kids who had no preschool and no home educational experience which have been the studies of most psychological and educational studies.
The conclusion compares the new preschool curriculum to older public school preschool programs, private preschool programs and rich home educational experience – basically the whole ball of wax. The control group of everyone else not in the new curriculum tells us this.
Since they are talking about a business decision on an educational product, lets not try to fantasize that it says anything about educational research.
Keolu fantasizes too too much. He lies.
Han Song – I agree. You don’t see too much of that anymore. Whatever one’s political bent, they are a great example of two working partners who have a genuine respect and affection for each other.
Betty Berry-Maybe if Trump started acting presidential, people would start treating him better. The tweets? Fighting with Saturday Night Live? His nepotism? His bromance with Putin? His attack on NATO? They don’t inspire either confidence or respect. I hope he will grow up.
He’s like a lot of Republicans. Trump is just all tweet… nothing else.
IRT “It’s time for liberals to cool the rhetoric”. It is chilling to think that think that the very flawed candidate that lost the popular vote will put his hand on a bible and be sworn in as President of the United States. One can only expect a frigid reception to the ice cold selections he is choosing for his cabinet. So what is the opposite of a liberal ? … a trumpet?
Betty, what rhetoric are you talking about? Never in my life have I remembered a president elect who continues attacking so many after the election. From the press to the people who will be protecting him, he sure doesn’t have favorites. They are all attacked. lol
I can’t recall an election where people keep attacking the PE months after the election either.
It is unfortunate that the media, especially some of the cable stations, are trying very hard to delegitimize the PE. I predict it will further hurt their ratings.
I don’t think the democrats can handle someone like the president elect. He is not like the rino’s or the everyday politicians. He hits back when attacked and makes sure he has a say. No rolling over to the loudest democratic voice in the room. Refreshing and a learning experience for republicans who just want to get along with the people who will stab them in the back and roll over so they don’t make enemies out of their enemies.
Alldunn: You make an excellent point. It would drive me crazy how Republicans would not speak up to Dems making outrageous statements.
Never in your life have we had a President that was not a politician.
Gropy Joe gets a participation medal from Barry.
I did not vote for Obama, Hillary Clinton or Trump – let’s get that out of the way.
For those who say people should stop calling Trump names – Where have you been for the last two Presidential terms? Obama has been the victim of vicious, racist and derogatory name-calling for over eight years. “The Kenyan” and “Obummer” are two of the few that can be mentioned here. His wife and family has also endured constant name-calling. Through it all – the Obamas have kept their cool. So – now that your guy, Trump, is getting the heat – now you complain? Give me a break!
Give me a break. It was a very small group of idiots that were ever calling Obama names. Being an independent voter who voted twice for Obama and this election voting for Trump. I can the Dems HYPOCRITES and poor losers !